Chapter
63 The Third Experiment
Consciousness, unprovable by scientific
standards, is forever, then, the impossible phantom in the predictable biologic
machine, and your every thought a genuine supernatural event. Your every
thought is a ghost, dancing. – Alan Moore
Deep in each man is the knowledge that
something knows of his existence. Something knows, and cannot be fled nor hid
from – Cormac McCarthy
No sooner was Marie back, they sent her out
again. Beyond the Ain. The Sin soph and the Ain soph aur. This time she found herself in a jungle, at
the foot of a great temple, largely lost to the vines of the dense rain forest
around it. The hot humid air caught her
off guard, and immediately stifled her.
Both the air and the close jungle was oppressive to the extreme. She turned her attention to the temple, it
was slightly remincient of those she had seen pictured in India and such places,
but the architecture was different.
Spiral turrets of differing heights reached up from the roof of the
mammoth construction and instead of arches the entrance was a triangular shape. There was a path that seemed to have been
cleared as had the entrance way been maintained. She decided to investigate the inside of the
temple, to see what she could find that could help her gather information for
her quest.
Once she passed through the triangular
threshold, she saw the cavernous interior was well illuminated by light coming
down from openings in the turrets. They
too had apparently been cleared. The
main room of the temple, though large was empty of all furniture. In fact it was empty save on thing. A small statue of some type sat exactly in
the middle of the floor. Marie moved
closer to it to examine it more closely.
It seemed as thought it was some kind of life-like replica of a lemur,
its eyes closed as though it were sleeping in a crouched position. Marie jumped back when its eyes opened.
“Finally,” said the creature.
“You can talk?” Marie asked in wonder, hardly composing
herself to even speak.
“Of course, I can talk. My species has utilized vocal communication
and language skills before your ancestors even evolved into primates, Humph.”
“I’m so sorry…it’s just…”
“Yes, yes, it’s not like I haven’t heard
you say the exact same thing fourteen thousand, seven hundred and seventeen
times already, more or less.”
“Wha…”
“That too.”
“But…”
“And that…”
Marie stopped herself for speaking. The lemur looking being stared at her with his
big eyes, now wrapping its arms around its knees as it continued its
crouching. Suddenly some sort of
recognition flashed across its eyes…
“Wait, you’re different than the
others….you’re the special one…the last one…the one. You actually got here surprisingly fast in
that case. Congratulations. This must be your what thirthieth
hyperdimensional jump to have gotten here?
That’s amazingly quickly.”
“Actually, it’s my third.”
“That’s astounding! I quite like you better than the other ones. Quite better.
You’re my kind of human, you are.
You’re more like one of us, than your own kind, aren’t you?”
“I don’t really know…”
“And such modestly!” said the lemur in
delight. “You really are a credit to not
only your species but to hyperdimensional Marie Brabants specifically.”
“Uh, thanks.”
“No, no, child, thank you, for coming….I
was beginning to doubt this whole business, waiting here in this temple
for…what now? A hundred years for you,
and having to sit through visitation after visitation of inferior versions…you
have no idea how disappointing it’s been.
I simply cannot tell you how gratified I am to finally meet you.”
“Thank you,” said Marie regaining her
manners. “It’s nice to meet you too…”
“Mikc-Serggue’ll Floitz.”
“I’m sorry?”
“That’s my name, dear, Mikc-Serggue’ll
Floitz. At your service,” the lemur had
stood upright from his crouch and bowed to her.
“But you usually just call me Mike.”
“Marie Barbant, at yours,” she bowed in
return.
“Oh, I just love your manners, you make the
rest of them look like classless barbarians, dear, you really, really do.” He spit at this. “Classless barbarians.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Well, it’s hardly your fault, now is
it? If other Maire Brabants go around
the multiverse being rude and uncultured, how can you be held responsible? That’s just silly, dear. Just silly.”
“So, you’ve been waiting for me for a
hundred years?”
“That’s right, and I have not enjoyed it
one bit. I’m going to be late for the
big Convention at this rate.”
“So, you’re from Earth II?”
“Well, yes, but we had all but abandoned it
for greener dimensions long before your people got there. And I will give you this, all those other
Marie Brabants were a far sight better than those Ongs Hat cultists, by
gads. A far sight better, they were, and
you a far sight better than them, at that.”
“Uh, thanks…I’m flattered.”
“See what I mean, so very polite! Such excellent manners. Manners are the very root of civilization you
know. The very root.”
“Huh, I didn’t realize that.”
“Oh, I’m sure you did, I’m sure you
did. You probably just didn’t realize
that you realized it, that’s all. Just
didn’t realize that you realized it. I’m
sure.”
“I suppose if you think so…”
“See, what I mean? Deferring to me…that is pure courtesy. The cultivation courtesy is the essential for
advanced stable civilization, built first on manners, then on courtesy. I do so love you deference. It’s just lovely. It really is.”
Marie considered thanking the lemur, er Mikc -Serggue’ll Floitz or Mike, but thought
better of it, as she wasn’t sure how much time she actually had, and if another
polite response would further consume their time together. She decided that it was time to come to the
point.
“We need your help,” she said.
“Well, of course, you need my help, that’s
why you’ve come all this way, and why I’ve waited here for a hundred years for
you. Because, as you say, you need my
help. And help you I shall.”
“Thank you” Damn, she thought.
“You are most certainly welcome! It is such a delight having you here in my
temple. Such a delight!”
“I don’t know how much time I have,” Marie
pointed out, attempting to get the conversation back on track.
“Well, obviously, we have all the time you
need, or you wouldn’t have come to me here for help!”
copyright 2017 Diana Hignutt
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